Machine for making railway-ties.



J. W. BECK, J. W. REID & RfW. SKINNER.

MACHINE FOR MAKING RAILWAY TIES.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON, D. c.

J. W. BECK, J. W. REID & R. W. SKINNER.

MACHINE FOR MAKING RAILWAY TIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1912.

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J, BECK, J. W. REID & R. W. SKINNER.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING RAILWAY TIES.

APPLIOATIDN FILED JUNE 27, 1912.

1,093,680, Patented Apr. 21, 1914 Y 4 SHBBTS-SHEET a.

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J. W. BECK, J. W. REID & R. W. SKINNER'.

MACHINE FOR MAKING RAILWAY TI BS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. BECK, JOSEPH W. REID, AND RAYMOND w. sKINNERfor EL nrro, NEWMEXICO.

MACHINE FOR MAKING RAILWAY-TIES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we JOSEPH W. BECK, JOSEPH lV. REID, and RAYMOND W.SKINNER, citizens of the United States, residing at El Rito, in thecounty of Rio Arriba and State of New Mexico, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Machines for Making Railway-Ties; and we dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improved machine for making railway ties.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed andeflicient machine whereby a tie may be automatically turned andcompleted on the movement of the log carriage in one direction and whichis provided with means for automatically reversing the direction ofmovement of the carriage and returning it to loading position after thecompletion of a tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved log holding meansfor securing a log in operative position in the carriage.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofone end of this improved machine with the parts in operative position;Fig. 1 is a similar view of the other end of the machine; Fig. 2 is aplan view of one end thereof; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the other endthereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 33 ofFig. 1; Fig.4; is a similar view on line 4:4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the carriage detached. Fig. 6 is a detail front faceview of the log engaging plate. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view ofthe improved log lifting and centering apparatus.

In the embodiment illustrated, a suitable supporting structure is shownhaving a track 1 on which a log carriage 2 is designed to travel. Thiscarriage may be operated by any suitable means, a cable 3 being hereshown secured at 1ts ends to the carriage 2 Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed June 27, 19-12.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914:.

Serial No. 706,300.

is rotated and motion imparted through one of the disks 9 or 10 to thedrum 4: according to the direction in which it is designed to wind thecable on the drum. The shaft 12 011 which the disk 11 is fixed isadapted to be moved longitudinally of the carriage a suflicient distanceto bring it into engagement with one or the other of the disks 9" and 10or to so position said disk 11 that it will be out of engagement withboth disks 9 and 10, thereby throwing the carriage out of operation aswill be described hereinafter.

A lever 14 for cont-rolling the engagement of the disks 9 and 10 withthe driving disk 11 is fulcrumed on the frame of the machineintermediately of its ends and is connected at one end to the shaft 12by means of a bar 15 which is preferably arranged parallel with the sidemembers of the frame and is connected at its front end with a reversinglever 16 disposed in position to be engaged by the log carriage at theend of its cutting stroke whereby said lever is shifted and through theshifting bar 15 throws the disk 11 into operative engagement with thedisk 10 and thereby winds the drum in the op posite direction, thusreversing the movement of the carriage and returning it to,

loading position as shown in Fig. 1. a A pair of saws 17 and 18 aredisposed in the pat-h of the log carriage near one end of the frame inposition to engage opposite sides of the log and cut off slabstherefrom.

A similar pair of saws 19 and 20 are arranged in the path of the logcarriage at a and are adapted to engage the log afterit has been turnedby the hereinafter described mechanism for cutting slabs from theopposite sides, thus forming a tie of the required dimensions. Thesesaws are adjust point in advance of the first mentioned saws CJI abletoward and away from each other to adapt them to cut ties of varyingsizes if desired. The log carriage 2 herein shown comprises a suitablybraced frame having rollers 21 at its opposite ends which are designedto travel on the track 1. It is also provided with depending end members22 and 23 in the free ends of which are mounted log engaging spurs, anydesired number of which may be employed. As shown, a plate 24: ismounted'on the inner face of the end member 23 and is provided withlaterally extending spurs 25, while the other end member 22 hasa bar orrod 26 mounted to slide therein in a plane at right angles thereto, saidbar being provided at its inner end with a log engaging spur or spurs 27and to its other end, which projects beyond the end member 22, issecured a lever 28 by means of which said bar is projected and retractedto cause the spur 27 thereon to engage or disengage the log as may bedesired. This lever 28 is fulcrumed intermediately of its ends to oneend of a link 29, the other end of which is pivotally connected with alug 30 projecting forwardly from the end member 22 in a plane above thebar 26.

Disposed at a suitable point in the path of the carriage 2 is atripmember 31 which is preferably in. the form of a block, positioned toengage the lower end of the lever 28 when the carriage is moved forwardthereby forcing said lever into the position shown in Fig. 1 thus movingthe bar 26 inward and causing the spur 27 thereon to forcibly engage thelog to be sawed, said spur being forced into the log until the shoulder27 of the spur comes in contact with the log. The forward moving of thecarriage also causes the spurs 25 at the other endof said carriage to bedriven into the other end of the log whereby said log is securely heldin position ready for engagement with the saws.

V The plate 2-1 must carry at least two spurs 25 and is secured to a rod34: revolubly mounted in the end member 23, said end member preferablyhaving its lower end upturned and spaced from the body portion thereofto form alined bearings for the rod 34. A plate 35 is fixed to said rod34tbetween the bearings thereof and said plate is preferably diamondshaped as shown in 5, the rod 34passing through the cen ter thereof.Links 36 and 37 are pivotally connected at one end with the oppositeends of said plate 35 and the other ends thereof are pivoted tovertically extending laterally spaced bars '38 and 39, which bars are ofthe rsame:length and areprovided'at their free ends with rollers f0 and4-1. These rollers are designedto travel on tracks or beams securedtothe upper end of the supporting frame and to which came or trip blocks32 of the bars 38 and 39 at different portions of the track and when oneof said blocks is engaged by the roller carrying end of a bar it causessaid bar to be forced downwardly and the other bar upwardly therebyrocking the plate 35 and the shaft 3l'to which it is fixed, thusimparting a turning motion to the plate 2-1; which is fixed to the logand by this means giving the log a onequarter turn to position it readyfor engagement by the saws 19 and 20, the blocks being of a size toimpart the desired turn to the log. lV hen the free end of one bar islowered the other is elevated and vice versa. As shown the trip block 32extends from. the loading end of the structure to a point just beyondthe first pair of saws at which point it terminates in a forwardly andupwardly inclined end 32. The other trip block 32 begins at the terminalof block 32 and is arranged in a plane parallel with the plane of block32 in the path of the free roller carrying end of the bar 39. The in nerend of the block 32 is inclined rearwardly and upwardly and projectsrearwardly beyond the terminal of block 32 to provide for the loweringof one bar simultaneously with the elevation of the other, and theturning of the log at this point after the saws 17 and 18 have completedtheir operation, and said turning positions the log for engagement bythe saws 19 and 20.

\Vhen the log is secured in the position shown in Fig. 1 the carriage isstarted by moving the lever 14 in the proper direction to cause the disk11 on the shaft 12 to engage the disk 9 whereby the drum is turned inthe proper direction to wind the cable thereon and cause the carriage tomove for ward. During this forward movement of the. carriage the logcomes in contact with the saws 17 and 18 which out two slabs from thesides thereof. The continued forward movement of the carriage causes thefree end of the bar 39 to engage the trip block 32 and the free end ofbar 38 to pass ofi block 32 whereby the log is given a quarter turn andthe uncut sides thereof brought into position for engagei'nent with thesaws 19 and 20 which cut slabs therefrom, leaving the tie in completedcondition. The further forward movement of the carriage causes the upperend of the lever 23 to engage a trip bar 33 which forces its lower endoutward and disengages the spur 27 from the tie thereby releasing thetie which drops to the bottom of the mill. The further forward movementof the carriage brings it into engagement with the reversing lever 16which is thereby moved into dotted line position .shown in Fig. 1 andthrough the rod or bar 15 forces the disk 11 into engagement with theoperating disk 10 and thereby reverses the rotation of the drum andmoves the carriage backward into loading position when another log maybe placed therein and the above described operation repeated.

it is obvious that the travel of the carriage is variable and may bechanged to suit different kinds of timber and that the mechanism fordriving the carriage may be changed and any suitable saw mill carriagedrive used if desired.

If desired, alog lifting and centering apparatus A may be employed,such, for instance, as is shown in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings andapplied in Fig. 8, and which is designed to balance the load so tiatupon turning the log the weight willbe equally distributed, and whichalso insures the tie being always out from the center or heart of thelog. This apparatus as here shown comprises a table 4-5 which is mountedto slide vertically below the loading end of the structure beneath thecarriage 2, and is preferably provided at its oppo site edges withnotches or recesses 46 which engage guides -17 on the frame of thesupporting structure, which permits said table to move vertically and beheld against longitudinal or lateral movement. Depending from this tablepreferably near opposite ends thereof are rack bars 48, with which aremeshed pinions 49 carried by a shaft 50, the ends of which are mountedin suitable bearings in one end bar and in the cross bar, respectively,of the supporting frame of the structure. An arm 51 is fixed to theshaft and is connected by a link 52 with an operating lever 53 whichprojects beyond one side of the structure in position to be readilyengaged by the operator for turning the shaft to "arise or lower thetable 4-5.

A log receiving and supporting member 5-1 is here shown in the form of atrough mounted for longitudinal movement on the table 45, said logholder being preferably provided on its lower face with rollers mountedin suitable bearings for guiding the holder on said table and permittingit to reciprocate thereon. A bracket 56 is secured to one end of thetable 4:5 and a coiled spring is connected at one end to said bracketand at its other end to the log holder 54:, and it is designed to yieldand permit said holder to move longitudinally on said table apredetermined distance and to return said holder to normal positionafter the table has been lowered and the member 54 disengaged from thelog. In the operation of this lifting and centering mechanism a log isrolled onto said holder 54 from a skidway B, and the lever 53 is thenactuated to turn the shaft 50 in proper direction to cause the pinionson said shaft to move the rack bars 4x8 upward, carrying with them thetable 45 whereby the log is raised and held in proper position forengagement by the pins 25 and 27 of the carriage 2. The rollers 55permit the holder 54: to move forward while these points are beingdriven into the log and after the log has been properly centered thelever 53 is released and the table 4L5 with the holder 54 thereon movesdownward by gravity into normal position, and the spring 57 exerts itstension to return the holder to initial position ready for the receptionof another log. n

We claim as our invention;

1. The combination of a supporting structure having atrack, a logcarriage mounted to travel on said track, longitudinally spaced sawsdisposed in the path of said carriage, rocking log engaging meanscarried by said carriage, longitudinally movable laterally spaced rodsconnected with said log engaging means, and means on said supportingstructure for alternately engaging and actuating said rods for rockingsaid log engaging means and turning the log on the carriage at a pointbetween the saws.

2. The combination of a supporting structure having a track, a logcarriage mounted to travel on said track, pairs of longitudinally spacedsaws disposed in the path of said carriage, rocking log engaging meanscarried by said carriage, vertically movable rods connected with saidmeans, and cams on said supporting structure for successively engagingsaid elements for rocking said log engaging means and turning a log onthe carriage at a point between said pairs of saws.

3. The combination of a supporting structure having a track, a logcarriage mounted to travel on said track, log engaging elements atopposite ends of said carriage, one of said elements being revoluble andthe other slidable in a plane at right angles to the plane of movementof said revoluble member and cam actuated means for rocking saidrevoluble member at predetermined intervals.

4. The combination of a supporting structure having a track, a logcarriage mounted to travel on said track, log engaging elements atopposite ends of said carriage, one of said elements comprising arevoluble shaft extending through one end of said carriage and havingplates fixed to its opposite ends, one of said plates being providedwith av plurality of spurs, vertically movable rods connected with theother plate on opposite sides of said shaft, means on said supportingstructure for alternatingly depressing said rods to rock said plates andthe other log engaging element comprising a single spur slidably mountedin the other end of said carriage to move in a plane at right angles tothe first mentioned log engaging member.

5. The combination of a supporting structure having a track, a logcarriage mounted to travel on said track, pairs of longitudinally spacedsaws disposed in the path of said carriage, trip blocks disposed inparallel planes laterally spaced from each other, one of said blocksbeing arranged in advance of the other, said blocks having their innerends inclined in opposite directions, rocking log engaging means on saidcarriage, vertically movable bars connected With said rocking logengaging means and having their free ends arranged to engage said tripblocks whereby said 10g engaging means is rocked to partially turn alog, said blocks being arranged to cause the logs to be turned afterpassing one pair of saws and before reaching the other pair.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH \V. BECK. JOSEPH W. REID. RAYMOND \V. SKINNER. \Vitnesses JOHN H.SARGENT, HUGH HARRIS.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of latents,

v Washington, D. G.

